In much of the U.S., the Milky Way is clouded by artificial light. But in many spots in the Mountain West, bright stars and constellations still blanket the night sky. These communities are increasingly interested in protecting darkness and using it as a selling point to attract visitors.
More than 80 places in the region have been certified by the nonprofit DarkSky. The designation requires steps to reduce light pollution. But it also allows communities to market themselves as stargazing destinations.
Colorado is making a concerted push to expand its dark sky destinations. The state has funded a mentorship program to help parks and communities through the application process. So far, 13 state parks and eight communities are on board.
Now, the state is trying to connect those destinations through a “stargazing trail.” Colorado Tourism Office Director Tim Wolfe said it’s a new map that helps visitors find some of the state’s darkest places.
“I see it as an enhancement to those communities, that if you're in that location, and then you do a search that you're like, ‘Wow, I'm really close to this dark sky. Let's go ahead and do this,’” he said.
The Mountain West is home to some of the country’s most remote and light-pollution-free places. Utah has the highest concentration of DarkSky-certified places in the world. Flagstaff, Arizona became the first-ever dark-sky community in 2001 and Idaho is home to the nation's largest dark-sky reserve in the U.S.
Wolfe said this kind of tourism aligns with Colorado’s stewardship goals because it encourages visitors to appreciate the state’s natural beauty.
“Being able to see and experience things as they were before changes in those environments,” he said.
June is Dark Sky Month in Colorado, and the state tourism office is promoting events around the state, including a dark sky train excursion through the San Luis Valley and guided stargazing at Rocky Mountain National Park.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between KUNC, Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, KANW in New Mexico, Colorado Public Radio, KJZZ in Arizona and NPR, with additional support from affiliate newsrooms across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Eric and Wendy Schmidt.
